Fellow Blue Bomber Alumni:
In case you haven't already been made aware, the district has an Academic Transformation Plan that involves the closing of some and re-purposing of other school buildings. East is slated to be closed... and demolished. The final vote was held by the School Board in March and they upheld Dr. Sanders' proposal.
Well, some of your fellow Alumni just weren't satisfied and kept fighting for our Alma Mater. Our Association President, Robert Canady, went to battle for EHS, and attended every community meeting, standing for the cause, hoping either he or someone else would say just the right thing to change the decision. (You may have caught glimpses and/or sound bites of him on the local news.)
Something was said that raised a brow. This began a series of smaller meetings with Dr. Sanders, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and other CMSD administrators. Our Association President, Robert Canady, as well as our Executive Board Chair, Rhonda Young-Hurt, Joe Kennedy, Community Leader (EHS Alumna), Pastor Rufus Webb (EHS Alumna) of New Directions Church of God in Christ, Bishop Hilton (Tabernacle of Faith Church), Mittie Jordan (EHS Alumnae)and many other community leaders and parents tirelessly showed up, walked the walk, talked the talk and fought the battle, providing facts, figures and alternatives.
Dr. Sanders was, throughout the entire process, straight forward, honest, respectful and worthy of the utmost respect. He took his hits with grace and dignity and for that, we are eternally grateful. He listened with empathetic ears and let us know when we had provided him with new information. There was never a reason to distrust him. He gave us the opportunity to submit a proposal for a merger of East and MLK Academy. We did.
Dr. Sanders will hold a press conference on June 2nd, announcing the result of many tough conversations and long meetings. Please look for it on your local news channels.
Quite frankly I think the decision to close East High School was an educratic cop out. The reasoning is not acceptable. I am sure that East High School had its problems. But we had problems decades ago. All schoold have problem, some more evident than others. Was it the test scores...then teach the students....Was it the violence...then control the violence.... Was it the attendance...then make the student go to school...it can be done....Have we not seen the movie where the principal in NJ took over the school where the problems were similar to the problems at East...In a matter of years the school was turned around. It can be done.
ReplyDeleteEast High School has bee around for over 100 years. It is an institution. It carries decades of memories that should not be allowed to vanish on the whim of a few.